Guess that most of us are skeptical when it comes to how much Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton will be able to achieve. After all, their "job descriptions" are kind of vague, and the governments of the single member states are quite obviously not willing to transfer any actual competences to the two.

So first I was somewhat annoyed when I read (two years ago or so, don't remember) that not only we are not allowed "qua treaty" to have a flag or an anthem, but that we cannot even have a Foreign Minister by that name. Now I believe that the somewhat hollow title of a High Representative which the UK insisted on probably reflects the job much better.

Ah well, we will see. Van Rompuy has apparently not done a bad job at getting various Flemish and Walloon parties to work together in the Belgian federal government. And that could help him in his new job. Ashton I don't know much about, but what I have read about yesterday's "exchange of views" with her at the EP's Committee on Foreign Affairs was somewhat encouraging. Of course that does not mean much if the "regional" governments block and outmaneuver her later ...